Walking On - Francis Earl Bean

Francis “Frank” Earl Bean
April 2, 1940 – May 24, 2016
Tribal Elder Francis “Frank” Earl Bean, 76, a resident of Gates walked on on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at Salem Hospital. He was born on April 2, 1940, at Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Ore., the son of Fremond Francis and LaVerne May Teter Bean.
He grew up in Grand Ronde, going to school and logging. It was remembered that Frank could rollerskate backward, forward and do jumps in his younger years.
At the age of 20, he entered the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Chipola, an oiler, based in Hawaii, and the icebreakers USS Staten Island and USS Burton Island based out of Seattle. He was a mechanic on all of the ships, serving from 1960 to 1966.
Following the service, he continued to log. For a time, Frank studied automotive repair at Linn-Benton Community College. He spent time in Alaska, fishing and cleaning new construction project sites. He spent some time in Phoenix, Ariz.
On Sept. 22, 1996, he married Billie Faie Wornell. They moved to Gates in 2000. For more than 20 years, Frank worked in maintenance at Chemawa Indian School, starting in 1989 and retiring in 2010. Frank enjoyed detailing, working on and watching cars. He rebuilt a 1965 Chevy and an El Camino. He loved to collect everything and anything because “you never know when you will need it.” He was a tinkerer and always had several projects going on at the same time.
He enjoyed watching NASCAR racing. He was a great storyteller and enjoyed visiting with everyone. He was a proud member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and a past member of the Eagles Lodge. 
He is survived by his loving mother, LaVerne Hosford of Grand Ronde; daughters, Sandra Stone of Beaverton and Katrina Bean of Salem; sons, Brian Bean of Happy Valley, Randy Bean of Willamina and Timothy Anderson of Turner; stepsons, Gerald Colyer of Albany and Andrew Colyer of Salem; stepdaughters, Pamela Kilmurray of Woodburn, Michele Thomas of Salem and Debra Williams of Dundee; and 18 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Also surviving are sisters, Donna Stronach, Ellen Fischer, Linda Olson and Joyce Kirk of Grand Ronde. He was preceded in death by his wife, Billie; father, Fremond; and a brother, Thomas.  
Funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. Friday, June 10, in the Grand Ronde Tribal Cemetery Chapel. Interment with military honors will be in the Grand Ronde Tribal Cemetery.
Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center is caring for the family. To leave a message or memory for the family, please go to www.dallastribute.com.